Just another typical Sunday. Philippine style. Boarding a boat at 8:30 in the morning and exploring four different spots at two separate islands. This was easily my favorite day in the Philippines so far.
The boat ride lasted for only 40 minutes and then we were among tropical beaches and ocean. My whole life, paradise has been at least 1000 miles away; the luxury of ocean beaches isn't available in Kansas. It is a different story in Davao. For P600 ($12.50), we were taken away to the land of coral reefs and coconut milk. Our first stop was at a large reef off the island of Talikud.
Selfie with the reef in the background.
The reef was incredible. The water was so clear and warm: perfect for snorkeling. We swam around and saw plenty of starfish, sea urchins, and small fish. We were also lucky enough to see a turquoise sea anemone with several clown fish living inside of it. I had never wanted a waterproof camera so bad before in my life!
Our next stop was a beach where we tied up the boat and had some lunch. We were spending the day with some locals and they prepared an amazing lunch. It was Filipino cuisine and it was delicious. There were vegetables, fresh fish and sushi, marinated grilled pork, mussels, and plenty of rice. I heaped up a good "American" sized portion to fuel the rest of my day. Afterwards, we went and got some fresh coconut milk (called "buko juice" in the Philippines) at a small shop on the island.
We explored the rest of the small island after that. It was absolutely beautiful!
I took over 200 pictures on the island, but these were the best. We spent a good amount of time at the island and I have the sunburn to prove it! After the beach, we went snorkeling at another location that was next to a cliff on the island. I snorkeled a little more, but I spent a lot of time socializing with with my coworkers. It is fun spending time with them on our single day off each week, and they are so incredibly interesting and have so much to share.
Justin, on the left, is the other intern that I am staying with
and Yosua is the cost engineer on the project from Indonesia.
Our final stop was supposed to be at a large ocean clam farm, but, sadly, it wasn't open. Instead, we headed to another reef to snorkel some more. It was very similar to the other two reefs, except on the island of Samal, which is a large tourist destination in Davao. We passed by a resort with individual housing units and a private beach and reef for the residents.
I know where I am staying when I return to the Philippines!
All good things must come to an end. As the boat captain blew his horn to signal "time to leave", we all left the water to board the boat and return to port. I had no idea that this Sunday would be so much fun. I was sad it came to an end, but the Philippine sky left us with one last piece of beauty as we returned to the port.
"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore" - Christopher Columbus
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